Shillong: Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, Justice Revati Mohite Dere, demanded a shift from punishment to rehabilitation for minors on Thursday. She spoke at a state-level consultation in Shillong marking ten years of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015. The event brought together judicial officials and government departments to rethink how the state handles children in conflict with the law.
Justice Dere labeled the milestone a critical reflection. She stated, “Today, we review the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act over the last decade and discuss the way forward. This meeting is not just a ritualistic review of the statute, but an audit of our conscience. We are here to review our promise to our children.” She warned that failing a child today creates an offender tomorrow.
Current hurdles plague the system. Dere cited delays in age determination, poor institutional care, and a lack of coordination between state departments. Substance abuse among minors remains a growing threat. The Chief Justice urged police, health, education, and labour officials to fix these gaps. She pushed for better infrastructure and a new real-time monitoring system to track progress.
The judiciary wants to keep kids out of institutions. Dere pointed to Meghalaya’s existing kinship and community networks as better alternatives for care. The consultation featured appearances by Justice HS Thangkhiew, Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar, Justice B Bhattacharjee, Social Welfare Director Saloni Verma, and Health Services Director Dr. Neela E. Kharsahnoh. The Juvenile Justice Committee of the High Court organized the event alongside state departments.
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